Custom Book Printing Options

When you want that little something extra

Looking for a way to dress up an already gorgeous book? Want to create a limited edition to sell at a premium, or use for a crowdsourced project? Perhaps you just can't imagine your book without a ribbon marker. Blurb offers five different customization options that can be added to any book printed in volume: foil stamping, embossing and debossing, headbands and footbands, ribbon markers, and custom end sheets.

Explore the options below. If you're interested in adding one or more to your book project, contact our sales team for a custom quote. NOTE: customization options are only available for volume orders: print-on-demand projects with a 300-copy minimum order, and offset printing projects with a 750-copy order (in most cases).

Foil Stamping

Foil Stamping

Foil stamping is the application of foil to paper using a heated die. The foil adheres to the book cover surface leaving the design of the die on the paper. Blurb offers gold (shiny and dull), silver, black, or white as standard colors for print on demand projects (300-copy minimum order). Other colors are available as a special order. Foil stamping is also available for offset orders (750-copy minimum order in most cases) in a variety of colors.

Embossing/Debossing

Embossing is the process of creating a raised design on the cover or spine of a book. Debossing is just the opposite: the design is sunken into the cover or spine. Blurb offers embossing on POD orders (300-copy minimum) and both embossing and debossing on offset projects (750-copy minimum in most cases).

Headbands & Footbands

Headbands and footbands are narrow strips of cloth sewn or glued at the top (headband) or bottom (footband) ends of the book spine. A wide variety of color options are available for both POD (300-copy minimum order) and offset projects (750-copy minimum order in most cases).

Ribbon Markers

Ribbon markers are strips of cloth ribbon attached to a book's headband and used as a bookmark. Ribbon markers for POD orders (300-copy minimum) are gold by default, but other colors are available. A wide variety of color choices are available for offset runs (750-copy minimum order in most cases).

Custom End Sheets

End sheets are the pages in the front and back of a book immediately after the front cover and before the back cover. For POD orders (300-copy minimum), solid colored end sheets are available. For offset orders (750-copy minimum order in most cases), end sheets can be solid colors or any custom single color or four-color design.

Bespoke books:

You've got a great idea for a book. And it doesn't conform to a standard size. Or layout. Or anything. It's gotta be what it's gotta be. We understand. That's why we offer completely bespoke book printing. If you can imagine it, we can probably help you make it (within reason, of course—no car-sized books about cars or edible cookbooks, please).

In addition to our standard formats and sizes, we can create completely bespoke books for you. Really. So don't limit yourself when it comes to making the book of your dreams. Because we won't.